What a difference a year makes!

One year ago today (the Tuesday after Labor Day) was the first time I started keeping the girls all day alone. They were 8 weeks old and I was determined to start caring for them all by myself. I look back and see how crazy I was. They were so TINY! Here are the pics of me practicing bottle feeding and burping by myself the week before. I was weaning them from breastmilk and things were getting much "easier". :)

I remember that first day so well, surprisingly! I rememeber being nervous but determined, like I said. I knew I could do it! About 2:00 in the afternoon, I was getting really tired. I found "Marley and Me" on HBO and it had just started. I had never seen it but it got me through that hard first afternoon. If you haven't seen it, it is a movie about a family and their dog. The main characters start out as a young married couple and you watch as they get a dog and start a family. Jennifer Aniston, who has no children in real life, nailed the Mom role. I was so emotional anyway and watching her struggle with being a new Mom in the movie was exactly what I needed that day. It does have a sad ending but it's a great movie about life.
I remember how long and lonley those first several months were, but how much I loved my babies and how perfect they were. Here are some sweet moments Kendra captured one visit that melted my heart then and still do.


Fast forward to a year later and they are 14 months old today!! It's so amazing how much they change in a year. They are doing something new everyday and just so much fun to watch! One thing Sloane has learned to do is open the doors so we had to get a lock for the pantry this weekend. She kept opening it for her and her sister and getting into all kinds of fun things.

I am so blessed to be Sloane and Stella's Mommy and I can't wait to see what the next year holds for us!